Radiator fin



Patented Nov. 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ARTHUR .B. HODINE, OF RACINE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB TO MODINEMANUFACTURING GOMPANY, OF BACINE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN mutton rm Application med June 21, 1930. Serial No. 462,821.

The invention relates to heat exchange devices and has as its principal object theprovision of a heat exchange device having means whereby the rate of heat exchange between a given Volume of air and a heating fluid is substantially equal during the entire heat exchanging period.

It is another prime object of the invention to locate the means for causing an equalization of heat exchange, at a point inthe radiator at which the temperature potential of said'air diminishes.

Another object of the invention is to provide means such as that above referred ti) and to locate said means at the point just mentioned, which means has means whereby air is successively operated upon to thereby condition said air to absorb heat in addition to that which it initially absorbed upon introduction to the device.

The invention has as a further object, the provision of means whereby air entering a passage for the air may enter and travel a certain distance relatively to the passage with a minimum of frictional resistance to the travel thereof and thereafter be acted upon in a manner to increase heat transfer.

The invention also has as an object the provision of means capable of functioning in the manner just referred to, said means 1ncluding means for successively engagin air in the latter portion of said passage to t ereby cause turbulence of the air at this pomt to condition said air to increase its heat consuming capacity.

Another ob ect of the lnventlon is to provide a construction which functions in the manner above referred to which includes means for gradually increasing turbulence of the air passing through the passage, which means is located at a point in said passage at which the temperature potential of said air diminishes.

Specifically, the invention has as an object the provision of a heat radiating fin having means formed therein whereby the rate of heat exchange between the air and fluid is maintained and in which the means for accomplishing' this end is located at a point at which the temperaturepotential of said air diminishes. I

In addition, it is an object to provide a fin havin means for successively engaging air traveling relatively to the fin, said means including means whereby resistance to travel of the air is increasedly applied, said means being located in said fin so that resistance is applied and turbulence occurs only at a point where the temperature potential of the air diminishes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fin having a series of parallel air engaging elements, the foremost one of which is located a substantial distance from the adjacent parallel edge of the fin.

The invention has these and other objects, all of which will be explained in detail and more readily understood when readin conjunction with the accompanying drawing which shows one embodiment of which the inventlon 1s susceptible, it being understood that changes and modifications may be resorted to without departing from the spirit plf thfe appended claims forming a part ereo In thedrawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a radiator such as is used in connection with automobiles;

2 is a section taken-on line 2-2 of 1g.

Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of one of the elements shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; and a Fig; 5 is a section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4.

The invention is herein shown associated with heat radiating tubes pf a heat exchange device, it being understood, hdwever, that the means for accomplishing the invention is not limited to the precise construction herein shown and described.

The heat exchange device illustrated embodies the use of a header tank 10 and an out let header tank 11 which are connected with each other through the agency of tubes 12, it being understood that the tanks 10 and 11 are each provided with an inlet and an out? let respectively designated 13 and 14. Heat radiating fins generally designated 15 are arranged upon each of the tubes 12 in spaced relation to each other lengthwise of the tubes so that air passages 16 are formed between the tubes and the fins, the tubes and the fins respectively providing opposite walls of the passages.

Each of the fins ,15 are provided with apertures 17 through which the tubes 12 are passed, the tubes in the present instance, being of an elongated cross section. In the present instance, each of the fins 15 is formed of a relatively narrow strip of comparatively thin metal of high heat conductivity and have the material thereof provided at the edges of the apertures 17 turned to provide continuous flanges 18 which extend circumferentially of the tubes 12 upon which the fins 15 are mounted.

These flanges 18 are provided to form an element of means for attaching the fins with the tubes and in addition provide means for assisting in heat transference from the tube to the fins.

As before stated, these fins are designed so that the rate of heat exchange between the fluid circulating through the tubes 12 and the air traveling through the passages 16 formed by the fins and tubes is substantial-' ly the same throughout the length of the passage just referred to. To accomplish this, each fin is provided with means generally designated 23, and this means is located at a point in the passage at which the temperature potential of said air diminishes. It will be noted by referring to the drawing, that this portion is located adjacent the discharge end of the passage and is arranged to extend from the rear termination of said passages 16 a substantial distance inwardly or forwardly of the passage and that the foremost portion of said fin such as that designated 24 is devoid of any means such as that just referred to, and therefore, air entering the forward end of these passages travels with a minimum of friction or resistance to absorb heat from the fins and the tubes. It will also be noted that as said heated air travels in a rearward direction, it is engaged by the means designated 23 which acts upon said heated air to cause said heated air to be turbulated and thus, conditioned to absorb additional heat prior to its discharge from the passages such as 16, and thus, provides a balance in the heat absorbing qualityof a given amount of air traveling through the passages.

It has been found that at high speeds, the temperature difference between the entering air and the heated surface is sufficiently high in the front portion of the radiator, so that the exchange of heat is properly effected without necessity of the provision of means for increasing the heat carrying capacity of the air at this point, but that as the air becomes heated: and approaches the rear of the radiator, some means must be provided for augmenting the exchange of heat to thus obtain a maximum of heat transference from;

from the rear end 25 of each fin inwardly of the fin a substantial distance and terminates short of the front end 26 of the fin, and therefore, air entering the passage at the forward end of the fin will absorb a certain quantity of heat and as it travels toward the rear end of the passage, or in other words, when it reaches a point at which the temperature potential of said air diminishes, it is agitated or turbulated so as to augment its cooling effectiveness.

The means 23, in the present-instance, includes a plurality or series of projections 27, 28, 29 and 30 and a plurality of depressions 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 which extend transversely of the width of each fin. It will be noted that the .ridges gradually increase in height from the ridge 27 t0 the ridge 30 which will present a gradual and increasing resistance to the travel of the air which results in a gradual and increasing turbulence thereof so that prior to its discharge fromthe rear end of the fin or from the passage, it is agitated which increases its heat absorbing efficiency.

It is manifest from the foregoing that the means herein shown and described provides a means for effectively increasing the temperature potential of said air, which means is located at a point in the air passage which the temperature potential of said air ordinarily diminishes.

It is further manifest that a means is provided for creating a balance of temperature potential of a given body of air passing through the air passages 16 and which agitates the air and that said turbulence is gradually increased from a point at which the temperature potential of the air diminishes to a point from which the air is discharged from said passages.

It may be here stated that the forward edge such as 26 of the fin is bent downwardly,

provides a means whereby freedom from excessive resistance to air passage with the proper amount of turbulence produces a balance of heat transference which results in efiiciently transferring heat to the air from the cooling medium circulating through the 11 and extending from approximately the center of width of said tube to an edge of said 6. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a tube and aheat radiating fin associated with said tube, said fin having a plurality of ridges arranged parallel to a longitudinal edge of said fin and said ridges variating as to height.

my name this 17th day of J une, A. D. 1930. ARTHUR MODINE."

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe radiator and engine which results in main- 7 taining the cooling medium at a proper temperature at'high engine speeds.

It is also manifest that the accomplishment of the invention is not limited to the particular structure herein shown and described and other arrangements may be employed without departing from the spirit of the appended claims forming a part hereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1 1. A heat radiating fin comprised of a relatively narrow strip of material having an aperture provided therein through which a tube of a radiator is adapted to be passed to associate, the fin and tube, said fin having a series of parallel variating, air engaging means, arranged longitudinally of said fin and transversely to the travel of air passing over said fin, providing for engaging air with variating intensity.

2. A heat radiating fin comprised of a relatively narrow strip of-material having an aperture provided therein through which a tube of a radiator is adapted to be passed to associate the fin and tube, said fin having a series of variate air engaging means, the foremost of said series being arranged at approximately the center of width of said strip.

3. In aheat exchange device, the combination of a fiat tube and a heat radiating fin as sociated with said tube, said fin having va riate means extending from one edge of said fin to approximately the center of width of said tube providing means for creating turbulence of air passing over said fin.

.4. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a tube and a heat radiating fin associated with said tube, said finhaving variate means extending from approximately the cen ter of the width of said tube to an edge of said fin providing means for creating turbulence of air passing over said fin.

5. In a heat exchange device, the combination of a tube and a heat radiating fin associated with said tube, said fin having variate ridges-arranged parallel to an edge of said 

